Abstract
The residential sector of the European Union consumes 27% of the final energy of the European Union, and approximately two-thirds of the existing dwellings in the European Union were built before 1980. For this reason, the European Union aims to transform the existing residential building stock into nearly zero-energy buildings by 2050 through energy renovation. The most effective method to achieve this goal is to increase the thermal insulation of opaque elements of the thermal envelope. This study aims to assess the energy, environmental and economic impacts of the energy renovation of the thermal envelopes that are typical of the existing multi-family buildings of the 26 provincial capitals in the cold climate zones of Spain. To achieve this goal, the insulation thickness to be added to the walls, roof and first floor framework is optimized by a life cycle cost analysis, and the existing building openings are replaced, thus minimizing both the total heating costs and the total heating and cooling costs. The study uses four thermal insulation materials for four different heating and cooling systems in 10 different models. The results obtained will be used to propose energy renovation solutions to achieve nearly zero-energy buildings both in Spain and in similar Mediterranean climate zones.
Highlights
The final energy consumption in the European Union reached 288 Mtoe in the residential sector and 154 Mtoe in the service sector in 2017, with 42% of the final energy consumption coming from the building sector [1]
This study aims to assess the energy, environmental and economic impacts of the energy renovation of the thermal envelope of existing residential buildings in the cold climate zones of Spain and to assess the optimum insulation thickness to be added to the walls, roof and first floor framework by a life cycle cost analysis and the replacement of the existing building openings
The methodology developed in this study is as follows: (i) identification of the main cities located in cold climate zones and the main characteristics of these climate zones; (ii) definition of the studied building with a thermal envelope that represents the main characteristics of the existing residential building stock; (iii) evaluation of the optimal thickness of the thermal insulation for the walls, roof and first floor framework to minimize the total heating costs and the total heating and cooling costs with different thermal insulation materials and heating and cooling systems; and (iv) evaluation of the main energy and environmental parameters of the renovated building and verifying whether it is a nearly zero-energy building in accordance with the current CTE-DB-HE [31]
Summary
The final energy consumption in the European Union reached 288 Mtoe in the residential sector and 154 Mtoe in the service sector in 2017, with 42% of the final energy consumption coming from the building sector [1]. In addition to the elevated energy consumption of the residential sector (27% of the total), the residential building stock is aged, with 68% of existing dwellings built before 1980 [3]. In light of this problem, the European Union, through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2018 [4], intends to achieve a decarbonized and highly energy-efficient housing stock by 2050 and to ensure a long-term renovation that transforms the existing buildings into nearly zero-energy buildings. EPBD 2018 [4] amends both EPBD 2010 [5] and the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012 [6]
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